February 15, 2023

Title: OPEN SESAME

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

BALL OF FIRE (16A: Highly energetic person, metaphorically)

SEED MONEY (40A: Startup funds)

STREET STYLE (62A: Focus of some fashion blogs)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer OPENs with a word that can be paired with SESAME. We have SESAME BALL, SESAME SEED, and SESAME STREET.

Things I learned:

• PHAN (15A: Beauty influencer Michelle) Michelle PHAN got her start posting makeup tutorial content to YouTube in 2007. Since then she has co-founded Ipsy, a beauty product subscription box, and launched a cosmetics line, EM Cosmetics.
• ACT (47A: The A in ICWA) ICWA is the Indian Child Welfare ACT, a law passed in 1978 that addresses jurisdiction over child custody proceedings involving Indigenous children. The ICWA was enacted to address the large numbers of Indigenous children being separated from the families and communities by state child welfare agencies and private adoption agencies. 
• BABA (1D: Daddy, in Bengali) Bengali, also known by its endonym Bangla, is the official language of Bangladesh. It is also spoken in parts of India, and around the world by the Bengali diasporas. As the clue informs us, BABA is the Bengali word for daddy.
• NAT (23D: "Home Again" actor Wolff) Home Again is a 2017 romcom movie about a 40-year-old single mother who opens her Los Angeles home to three young filmmakers. Reese Witherspoon plays the mother, and the three filmmakers are portrayed by NAT Wolff, Jon Rudnitsky, and Pico Alexander. NAT Wolf also stars in an upcoming TV series titled, The Consultant. That show is scheduled to premiere later this month.
• VIDEO (39D: Bilibili upload) Bilibili - stylized as "bilibili" and nicknamed "B site" - is a Chinese VIDEO sharing website.
• BEER (60D: Beverage sometimes consumed in the shower) Sometimes while writing this blog, I end up revealing how little I know, and this might be one of those times, because before solving this puzzle, I had never heard of shower BEER. (Granted, I don't drink BEER at all, but still, you'd think I would have seen it mentioned, or seen ads for shower BEER holders.) A shower BEER is exactly what it sounds like, a cold beer enjoyed while taking a hot shower. Some scientists have attempted to explain why a shower BEER is (presumably) better than a regular BEER. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• UTES (21A: People with a Sun Dance ceremony) The Sun Dance is a sacred ritual of some Indigenous peoples in the United States and Canada, including the UTE people. The Sun Dance is conducted in the middle of summer, and is a way of reconnecting with the earth.
• ATE (44A: Had some Pocky) I have previously written about Pocky, which are chocolate-coated biscuit sticks.
• ALTO (70A: Singing voice type) and TENOR (59D: Singing voice type) We have half of a four-part harmony hanging out in the lower right corner of the grid.
• TREAT (31A: Reward for a cat) Willow is not big on cat TREATs, but open a package of tuna, and she will come running. Yesterday my husband gave me some cat-themed kitchen towels for Valentine's Day. (Don't worry, he also gave me chocolate, because he is a smart man.) Here's Willow checking out the towel that appropriately says, "It's your party - you can meow if you want to." 

  

  Willow

• MAYS (33D: Baseball legend Willie) Willie MAYS played center field in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1951 to 1973. He debuted with the New York Giants, and was with the team when it moved to San Francisco. He finished his MLB career with the New York Mets. Willie MAYS is considered one of the greatest baseball players ever, and was an All-Star 24 times. His uniform number - 24 - has been retired by the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants.

Geography review:

• ASIAN (19A: Indian or Thai, for example) India and Thailand are countries in Southeast Asia, making their residents, of course, ASIAN. 
• ANTHEM (29A: "Land of the Free," for Belize) The country of Belize is located on the coast of Central America, along the Caribbean Sea. Belize shares borders with Mexico and Guatemala. The capital of Belize is Belmopan, and as the clue informs us, the national ANTHEM of Belize is "Land of the Free."
• ENID (46A: Oklahoma's "Wheat Capital") As I have previously written, ENID, Oklahoma's "Wheat Capital" nickname is a reference to its importance as a wheat storage site.
• DESERT (41D: Mojave or Kalahari) The Mojave DESERT is located in the Southwestern United States, primarily in California and Nevada, and partially in Arizona and Utah. The Kalahari DESERT is located in Southern Africa, primarily in Botswana, and partially in Namibia and South Africa.

I'm a fan of any theme that gives a nod to SESAME STREET. In addition to the theme, I enjoyed the answers PHOTOGENIC and CALL IT A DAY. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this puzzle that was a wonderful way to start my Wednesday.